India and China Seek Stability as Leaders Meet on BRICS Sidelines
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Saturday on the margins of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, with both leaders emphasising that peace and tranquillity along their disputed border remain essential for the continued development of bilateral relations.
The meeting, Xi's first visit to India in seven years, comes after a year of relative calm along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Both sides have worked steadily to stabilise ties following tensions that peaked in 2020.
What did the two leaders agree on?
Modi and Xi reaffirmed that both countries should take a strategic and long-term perspective of their relationship. They agreed that differences should not become disputes and that both sides should be guided by what the Prime Minister called the three mutuals: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest.
The two leaders expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question, proceeding from the political perspective of their overall bilateral relations and the long-term interests of both peoples.
Why border stability matters for both nations
India and China signed a series of agreements in the 1990s and 2000s to keep the LAC stable and peaceful. New Delhi has consistently stated that the state of border affairs reflects the overall health of bilateral ties.
Ahead of Xi's visit, India and China reached an eight-point understanding last month. This includes creating two additional meeting points for the General Level Mechanism and Senior Highest Military Commander meetings, plus two additional channels of border military hotline in the Eastern and Middle Sectors. The objective is to improve border management measures with the goal of stabilising the LAC.
The Line of Actual Control has been largely incident-free over the past year, a positive sign after several years of friction.
Trade concerns and economic ties
On economic and trade relations, the leaders underlined the need to address each other's concerns, including structural trade imbalance and supply chain issues, and to facilitate meaningful and predictable market access.
India is seeking wider market access in China to reduce its trade deficit and has stated that Beijing should not weaponise supply chains. Reports indicate the two countries are exploring a new framework to facilitate business-to-business exchanges and Chinese investments, with a focus on accelerated capital flow.
What does this mean for regional stability?
The leaders agreed that both sides must continue to expand common ground on regional and global issues and in addressing shared challenges. Modi specifically appreciated China's support for India's BRICS chairship and its contributions to the success of the BRICS Summit 2026.
Xi told Modi that India and China must work together for the future of mankind, a statement reflecting the broader geopolitical significance of the relationship between Asia's two largest nations.
The two leaders also took note of progress in people-to-people ties and underscored the need to further promote cultural exchanges, business linkages and greater mobility between the two countries.
What has changed since 2024?
Ties have been stabilising since Modi and Xi met in Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in 2024, followed by their meeting in Tianjin on the margins of the SCO Summit in 2025. Progress has been slow but steady, with both sides clearly prioritising stability over confrontation.
This measured approach reflects a mature understanding that two nuclear-armed neighbours with shared borders must manage their differences responsibly. For the wider region, a stable India-China relationship is a cornerstone of peace and economic development.